There are pros and cons to using free translation online, which usually come in the form of a variety of familiar services (Google, BableFish, etc.). The two most obvious pros, of course, are the fact that these services are free and readily available online.

If you’re thinking about using a free online translation service, you really need to consider just how deep and exact your translation needs to be. Simple words and phrases, and even basic paragraphs and more complicated vocabulary, can be translated with free translation online with relative ease. The trouble comes when meaning is subtler, or the content and context are more complex.

Perhaps someday computer algorithms will be able to map out every single multifaceted and intuitive form of communication known to human beings. But until then, if you have an artistic, sophisticated, or politically sensitive text to translate, a free translation online service might not be your best bet.

But if the minutia of language, understated differences in tone and meaning, and exacting content are what you’re after, you should probably go with a knowledgeable human translator instead of an online service. If, on the other hand, you’re simply after some words, phrases, or basic meaning, then free translation online could work for you.

Free translation online often beats thumbing through a dictionary. All you have to do is plug in a word in your native tongue, and then “poof,” you’re given the online translation instantly. This can save you a lot of time and frustration.

At the end of the day, free translation online is just another tool — albeit a powerful one — in the toolkit of translation and communication novices and professionals. How much you choose to rely upon it depends on your particular translation needs.